Two years of hard labor

Well, not really...

It has been about 3 years (but only 9 months of which has really been pretty intensive, with a few breaks)

No, I am not talking about the hard labor of a career, or of an obligation, or of childbirthing, but something equally as satisfying at the end. ~A SAMPLER~

I grew up with a mother who has spent hours completing needlework projects of all sorts, most of which grace someone's else's home (many in ours, including a piano bench, several pillows, and a sampler) Like my mother, I have always had an affinity for needlepoint over crossstitch. Needlepoint goes so much faster and requires far less attention than counted crossstitch. However, I have always wanted to complete an old-fashioned sampler. (and these are always found in counted crossstitch)

sam·pler

Pronunciation: \ˈsam-plər\, Function: noun, Date: 1523: a decorative piece of needlework typically having letters or verses embroidered on it in various stitches as an example of skill

I currently have two samplers hanging on my walls--one is the aforementioned one completed by my mom many years ago and the other is one that dates back probably 100+ years ago by another young girl. Now it was my turn.

Right before we moved from Maryland 6 years ago, I found one that I loved from Hobby Lobby on clearance. I picked it up thinking that one day I would get around to doing it...I finally decided about 2 1/2 years ago that I would have the patience to start a counted crossstitch piece. The kit was a pattern of a historic Danish sampler from 1763. Only after I opened the kit and started to determine where my first stitch would go did I notice the size. I had been planning to do a nice, standard 8"x10" or so sampler. This one is 26"x28"!!! (yes, that is almost 2x2.5 feet!) I debated about whether to change the name and dates to my name and dates since I was copying a historic design, but since a sampler traditionally declares the name and year of the workman, I decided to adjust those in the pattern. I had a relatively easy job since the girl who completed this project already bore my same first name! It was an easy job from there to change the dates (what was not so easy was to determine which dates to which dates, since she had the date it was begun and the date it was completed and her birthdate, but all were identified in Danish! I had to go online searching out the infinitive of the verb forms to try and identify what it was saying in Danish) I did keep the original date of the sampler (as represented in the bottom right building tower.)

When my mom was here last summer, I truly began in earnest to make some headway--after taking off from it for more than 6 mos. before that. It has been a constant goal since then to finish it. Our nights of snuggling on the couch watching a movie were mostly over (but hey, all the guys need is shoulder to shoulder time, right?) while I would work feverishly on the sampler during movies.

Then comes last week...I knew I was getting to the end. I had the project on a frame, and since it was so large, I could never see the whole project at one time. Last week, I finally reached the final corner where I could see my pattern from one side match and fill in the pattern from the other side. So to make light of many more hours, I put in the last stitch last night amid cheers from my sister (on the phone) and Michael. What a sense of accomplishment! Now, if I can only frame it without costing an arm and a leg--especially since it is an unusual size and will need to be custom framed! I am already looking forward to the next project (and no, it will not be counted crossstitch!!!)

P.S. Michael and I celebrated by snuggling last night for 15 minutes on the couch.